At Least One Child Dead Following Stabbing In East New York

Police on the scene of a stabbing that left one dead and one injured in the East New York section of Brooklyn. (Credit Roger Stern/1010 WINS)Police on the scene of a stabbing that left one dead and one injured in the East New York section of Brooklyn. (Credit Roger Stern/1010 WINS)

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Police say a 6-year-old boy is dead and a 7-year-old girl is in critical condition following a stabbing in the East New York section of Brooklyn.

At Least One Child Dead Following Stabbing In East New York

It happened just before 6 p.m. Sunday at a building at 845 Schenck Avenue.

Police say the boy was found in an elevator where the stabbing is believed to have occurred, and the girl was found just outside the building.

Police say both were hospitalized at Brookdale University Hospital where the boy, Prince Joshua Avitto, was pronounced dead, and the girl, Michaela Capers was left fighting for her life.

On Sunday night, Capers was to be transferred to Columbia Presbyterian for surgery, CBS 2’s Jessica Schneider reported.

The pair were headed inside to get a snack when the attack occurred, according to neighbors.

Police say they are searching for a heavyset, male suspect in his 20s, he was apparently wearing a grey sweatshirt. The complex has been surrounded by police tape, and officers were manning every entrance.

“He was last seen running eastbound through the development. We did recover a knife in the vicinity of 857 Schenck Avenue,” Chief of Brooklyn Detectives, Patrick Conry said.